A More Forceful Offer (Rewrite)
by RakuKonpaku
Summary: Two Objects down in one day but a third proves too many as Quenser finds himself captured by the Information Alliance and deemed a traitor by his own country. Now is the time for a man to make a choice. (Rewritten to accommodate for the events of Volume 15 of the Light Novels.)
1. Chapter 1

Hello all, it's been some time again. Due to the revelations of the workings of the Information Alliance during volume 15, I decided to rewrite this fic, mostly starting from chapter 3. I will leave the old version of the fic up for now, but I may take it down later as I have improved it dramatically in my opinion (again, starting from chapter 3, I did not change the first two very much.)

So, this little explanation aside, read and enjoy.

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"Confirmed ejection of enemy elite, the Impact Pulse has been rendered inoperable!"

Soon after that announcement over the communications of the Legitimacy Kingdom's 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, a grand explosion marred the landscape of the Alaskan mountains. Leaning against a tree, the battlefield student Quenser Barbotage let out a long sigh as he observed the surrounding area. Pure white snow covered the ground, contrasting greatly to the two 50 meter masses of flame and armor billowing smoke into the atmosphere. A few kilometers away from the wreckage, the battalion's own Object, the Baby Magnum, slowly circled around towards the maintenance to the east. Even from a distance, Quenser could tell that the Object had taken a tremendous amount of damage in the 2v1 battle it had just participated in, and all seven of its main cannons seemed to be inoperable. Quenser checked his small handheld device as he rested against the tree.

"Seems like both bases are pulling back; that's a relief, I'd be screwed if they kept heading this way." The blonde student stretched his arms as he chatted on the radio. On the screen in his hands, he could see the enemy maintenance battalions to the west slowly retreating from the battlefield. Taking a moment to get his bearings before hiking back to his own base, Quenser moved the map on the screen around.

"Huh, I ended up a lot farther south than I meant to. Hey Heivia, do you think you could get a snowmobile over here? I'm about 7 kilometers south-southwest of the base." Despite asking for a ride, Quenser got up from the ground and dusted himself off before pulling out a small ration bar from his pocket. He started chewing on the tasteless mass as he hiked his way towards the base. Shortly after his request, a familiar voice came over the radio.

"No can do, you're surrounded by all sorts of wreckage, there's a good chance of the snowmobile hitting something buried under the snow and then both of us will end up walking. A skinny boy like you could use some good exercise anyway."

"Yeah, well screw you too Heivia, I'll tell your fiancé you were hitting on some girls in the town the other day." Quenser replied to his terrible friend while walking at a rather leisurely pace through the snowy hills. Only the muffled crunching of the snow under his boots broke the calming silence of nature; a stark contrast to the cacophony of explosions that ended just minutes ago. After walking for a while the student came across a large crater that had been a side effect of the earlier battle. The boy sighed as he pulled out his device to find the best route around when he heard a rumbling in the distance. Quenser frantically checked his handheld as he heard the voice of his commander Froleytia Capistrano.

"The situation has changed! The 41st CMB is pulling back and the Information Alliance's Rush is heading our way. Everybody get everything packed up now!" At that urging, Quenser checked his datapad and saw the map updating to show the enemy Object approaching from the south.

__Strange, the Rush is moving at a really slow pace. Is Ohoho worried about the possibility of debris getting caught in her treads? Regardless she's going to arrive long before we can get things packed up and the Princess is in absolutely no condition to fight. Actually, why are they heading for us in the first place anyway? Payback for destroying two of theirs or was something here that important?__

The combat engineer checked his backpack for explosives and grimaced. __I'm running really low on Hand Axe, and I doubt I'll be able to lock up the strategic AI like last time.__ He checked the map a few more times before coming to a conclusion. __Maybe I can set up a few caltrops with the Object wreckage along one of these canyons and hope she passes through it. It's a bit of a longshot but if I don't buy some time here who knows what will happen to the base.__

As he thought, Quenser heard somebody address him over the radio. "I can tell what you're thinking simply by the fact that you stopped moving our way Sir Knight. I know that trying to tell you to not run off isn't going to work but I'm going to try anyway. Get your ass over here; the intelligence division is reporting that the Rush is deploying with infantry escorts. Seriously, what is this, the era before Objects? I don't think I've ever heard of infantry escorting an Object like they did for tanks in the old days. Anyway, two Objects in one day was stretching it, I'm certain your luck is running too thin to make it three and Ohoho will no doubt be much more wary of your usual habits after the last few times."

Quenser listened to Heivia over the radio as he carefully plotted his actions while looking at the map on his device. He did a few quick calculations on a different window before coming to a conclusion.

"I don't really have much choice right now Heivia, I'm too far away to make it to the base before the Rush arrives and who knows what the enemy intends to do after we won 1 vs 2. If I'm lucky I can buy a bit of time for you all; if not I was more or less doomed anyway."

After confirming his plan, Quenser started running to his east towards a ravine. As he arrived at his planned point he looked at his watch and grimaced; a full ten minutes had passed. __I'm cutting this real close. Let's see, move this piece and this piece like so, just a touch of Hand Axe and…aw hell I don't know if I have enough fuses left.__ As he checked his pouches for more explosives and fuses, Quenser heard his comrade contacting him over the radio.

"Quenser, I don't know what you plan on doing over there but you have an armored vehicle heading straight for you. I think you might have been detected."

The young student cursed under his breath while looking into the distance and saw a trail of rising snow just over a kilometer away. He tried to keep a low profile as he moved away from the trap he had placed. __Shit, looks like Ohoho's unit really did come prepared this time. Did they trace me from the GPS or something? Maybe I should just blow the trap and hope the Rush comes down this way.__

Quenser continued to rapidly think as he crawled away, however as he crawled he lost sight of the armored vehicle that was heading in his direction. __Where did that vehicle go? Crap it's usually Heivia's thing keeping me alive through this part. Let's see… There are trees just 20 meters away, I might be able to slip away for a while if I can make it there. I can probably make it if I keep low enough.__

Despite all of his experience in dealing with Objects, Quenser was still just a novice when it came to normal combat. Just before he prepared to dash to the trees, he poked his head out from the wreckage. Not a moment after, a bullet impacted the ground only a meter away from his head. He quickly pulled back into his cover and had to restrain himself from shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs. Shortly after, he heard Heivia rapidly talking over the radio.

"Quenser, the Rush has just changed its course and is heading right for you; I think you've been spotted!" __No shit, you damn noble! __Quenser cursed his normal battle buddy in his mind while he frantically checked his device. To his dismay found that the enemy Object was now heading along a completely different path than his trap.

__Oh, come on; is she really that mad at me? Maybe I shouldn___'___t have bullied her so much during the Second Venice incident.____Okay, think; I'm pinned down by enemy troops, I have a 200,000-ton death bot piloted by a potentially angry young girl heading my way and my trap has been rendered completely worthless.__

_…_

__Well this has all just gone to shit. I might have to just surrender and hope for the best. Do I have anything I can make into a white flag or something?__

As he slowly wrapped a few bandages into a flag-like shape at the tip of his survival kit's fishing pole, Quenser sighed and addressed his comrades over the radio.

"Heivia, I'm pretty fucked over here, it looks like I'm just going to have to surrender and hope for the best. I'm leaving things over there in your hands, just do me a favor and see if you can get me back before long alright?"

"…Okay, just don't do anything too rash and get yourself shot. Also why are you asking me to get you out? That's not my job you ass." Quenser grinned at the reply from his terrible friend as he spoke to the radio one last time before stepping out from cover.

"I figure I'd ask you since Frolaytia is probably busy giving orders right now. I'd say 'don't die' but the good die young so a prick like you should live at least until his nineties."

"Yeah, yeah same to you tech pervert. Catch you later, Quenser."

At that last statement, the noise over the radio cut off, and Quenser took one deep breath as he picked up the makeshift flag. The crunching of boots on the ground drew close enough for him to hear, and he was about to wave his flag when he heard a familiar sweet voice.

"Masssterrrr, come ooooouttttttt~"

__Wydine? Why is she…oh right they were actually from the Information Alliance, not Capitalists. __Quenser waved his makeshift flag for a moment before slowly stepping out from his piece of wreckage with his hands raised. In front of him was a tan, blonde woman in what appeared to be a combat maid outfit carrying a rifle loaded with various sensors. He could vaguely see two other maids in the distance with their rifles trained on him moving closer as the leader Wydine Uptown approached. Quenser nervously smiled as he tried to engage in some conversation with the person who could almost be considered an acquaintance.

"I guess I should say it's been a while Wydine, I don't know if I ever properly thanked you for saving me back in the Himalayas."

Sweat slowly dripped down Quenser's face as the combat maid walked closer to him. Even though he had survived dozens of battlefields having a gun pointed at him was still terrifying. However to his surprise the woman proceeded to greet him with a polite curtsy and a beaming smile.

"It is pleasing to see you in good health dear master ~ "

The boy could not hide his shock at a supposed enemy treating him so politely. As the other members of the maid combat squad drew close, they also proceeded to greet their supposed enemy with a polite curtsy and a smile. A faint sense of unease permeated Quenser's mind at this strange action, and he did his best to cope by making a small quip.

"I can't help but feel you're mocking me by saying that while guns are pointed at my head…"

__And why are you in maid uniforms again? Not that I'm complaining but I feel like I might be shot if I ask.__

"Not at all, I thought this would be a more fitting greeting for a gentleman raised in the Legitimacy Kingdom. Did we perhaps get something wrong?" Wydine cutely frowned as she questioned the person she was pointing a gun at. The members of the maid squad relaxed their weapons as the Rush drew closer to their location. Without moving his head, Quenser glanced towards the 50 meter mass of weapons and armor as a feminine voice could be heard over the speakers.

"Ohoho~ it has been a while dear Quenser Barbotage. I'm glad to see the brutish commanders of the Legitimacy Kingdom have not succeeded in their attempts to get you killed yet."

__Why is the Rush stopping over here, weren't they planning to destroy our base or the Baby Magnum? __As that thought crossed his mind, Wydine brought a finger to the earpiece on her right ear and started talking to whoever was on the other side. Quenser fell further and further into confusion as the situation progressed far faster than he could keep up.

"Yes? They've finished packing up and pulling out? Well what else could we expect when their Object has no way of fighting another Object right now…No, no there's no need for that, as you can see we have the target captured and we'll be bringing him back shortly."

Tension overcame Quenser as he heard one half of a conversation with rather odd implications. He did not get time to think however as an armored vehicle drove up next to the group of people and Wydine motioned him inside. Quenser quietly obeyed and climbed inside, briefly wondering if he should take a seat on the bench before being offered the spot by one of the combat maids. Despite being a prisoner of war, he was not restrained. Shortly before she stepped inside, Wydine took Quenser's radio and hit the talk button.

"Ahh, ahh, testing, testing, does this still work?"

After speaking slowly and clearly into the radio, Wydine quietly waited a moment before she got a reply. From the voice that came from the device Quenser could tell that it was Heivia.

"Who is this, and why does this voice sound familiar?"

"Oh if it isn't the freeloader, still alive as well I see."

"….Wydine?" Wydine grinned a bit a she continued her conversation over the radio with Heivia. Quenser wondered for a moment if he should try to get involved but came to the conclusion that it would not be wise.

"Well, you'll do just as well as anybody else I guess." Wydine cleared her throat and proceeded to once again be sure to speak clearly for all to hear.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen of the Legitimacy Kingdom. We of the information Alliance will be taking custody of Quenser Barbotage. We do not intend to harm him, but we will not be returning him. Freeloader, pass a message on to your higher-ups: we will not be wasting his talents as you have."

Quenser's eyes widened as his jaw dropped at that proclamation. Wydine tossed the radio back to its owner and closed the door to the vehicle. The engine quietly hummed and the vehicle lurched a bit as it seemed to pick up speed through the snow. The rumbling of the Rush's air cushion propulsion could be clearly heard following them, and one of the maids that Quenser vaguely recalled was called Charm brought some hot tea with accompanying teacups from a side compartment. After giving one to each of the other maids, the brown-haired ponytail woman offered a cup to their prisoner. Quenser looked back and forth between the cup and the girl before meekly accepting the offer and taking a sip. After the warmth of the tea had finished chasing away the cold, he finally decided to ask the question burning in his mind.

"What did you mean with that message you said over my radio?"

The squad of maids all turned to look at Quenser when he spoke up. Wydine put a finger to her chin as she tilted her head in thought for a moment before she replied.

"Think of this as a bit of an aggressive invitation. Our dear elite made you an offer to defect to us before did she not? Your skills are unique even among soldiers and engineers; it should be no surprise that many factions would want to recruit you.

Quenser quietly stared at the ground as he processed the information provided by that reply. On more than one occasion he had been coerced into helping somebody cripple or destroy and Object, and on many other occasions he had been targeted for that very same reputation. One particular face came to mind from early in his Object destroying career: Sladder Honeysuckle, the Object designer that ran the Mass Driver Conglomerate when it went rogue. He was broken out of his thoughts when the driver of the vehicle shouted back into the rear compartment.

"Hold on to something, we're going to have to go fast. The Legitimacy Kingdom Object that turned tail has come back around towards us for some reason." The occupants of the vehicle all frowned as they quickly packed up the tea set and grabbed onto the safety holds on the walls. Quenser looped his arm around one of them and fiddled with his radio a bit, he sifted through the static coming from the speaker before eventually finding the channel he was searching for.

"-allow this traitor to live. We will crush Quenser Barbotage for turning his back on the Legitimacy Kingdom." Quenser had a grim look on his face as he heard the unfamiliar voice over the radio. The maids all turned to observe him as they listened to the conversation between two Legitimacy Kingdom commanders.

"I told you already he was captured, not defecting, and you're the one who pulled back your Object allowing that to happen. Tell me, why did you neglect to cover our retreat after we destroyed two enemy Objects on our own only to turn around to kill one battlefield student who was captured due to your actions?" Quenser could recognize the voice of his commander angrily berating the unfamiliar man on the radio. He did not like the sound of being branded a traitor, but he couldn't help but feel glad that at the very least his commanding officer believed in him. His brief smile quickly faded at the next statement to come from the radio from a different, more authorative voice.

"The council has decided that he is to be branded a traitor and killed, his actions have done far too much to destabilize the world as it stands, and now we run the risk of him working for another faction. The threat is far too high to allow for this. The conversation ends here, get your men packed up and out of here, __Lieutenant Colonel__."

The compartment where Quenser sat surrounded by maids drew silent except for the noises made by the vehicle itself as the radio communication abruptly cut off. His mind went blank at being cast out by his own country; he almost forgot to even breathe. The sound of the Rush revving up its propulsion systems and taking off into the distance reverberated throughout the compartment. Quenser finally came back to his sense as he felt himself being shaken by Wydine.

"Are you okay master? That must have been a harsh thing to hear all of a sudden." Quenser looked towards the hand touching his shoulder before following it up towards the worried face of the brown skinned woman next to him. His dazed expression slowly turned to a dark focus as he thought over the situation he found himself in.

__Am I really being tossed out by the higher-ups again? There was that time with Flide and apparently he had approval until he overstepped his authority by commanding the other armies in the process. I can't rule out the possibility of it being a manipulation by the Information Alliance though, they may have a way to copy voices.__

As he shifted into focus, the driver shouted back into the compartment again. "Hold on tight, our Idol has engaged the enemy Object!" At that warning the vehicle sharply veered to the side and a great many explosions could be heard from outside. The APC dipped and turned as it went through the Alaskan hills, and the voice of the commanding officer of the Rush, the woman Quenser vaguely recognized as Lendy Farolito , could be heard over the speakers towards the front of the compartment.

"Wydine, the enemy Object is attempting to bypass our own and target the vehicles instead. Their goal seems to be the death of Quenser Barbotage. Try to keep something big between you and their Object as you make your way over here. Our elite should have this problem sorted out before long so make sure you don't lose her prize before then."

A really bad feeling overcame Quenser as he listened in on that. He knew how things worked: if two Objects were fighting he was going to have to get involved in destroying it at least nine times out of ten. He couldn't help but feel bad at essentially looking down on the Princess and her Object the Baby Magnum, but if he let feeling bad about something stop him he wouldn't have survived as long as he did.

As it turns out, for once he was wrong. The 41st CMBs Object spent so much effort in trying to target the vehicles it was quickly and easily destroyed by the Rush after it closed in and ripped its armor apart with rapid-fire gatling lasers. After a hectic drive through the Alaskan tundra, the vehicle came to a stop and Quenser was lead out of the vehicle by the squad of maids. Quenser noted that a mobile maintenance facility for a foreign Object really wasn't much different from the one he was familiar with. After a few steps from the vehicle, Wydine turned to look at Quenser and spoke with a bright smile.

"I guess I should say welcome to your new home master~ ."


	2. Chapter 2

Not much to write here, I did not change chapter 2 much.

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__Man, this is a much comfier cell than the one I got tossed into after that ordeal with Nyarlathotep. A decent cot, food that actually has taste, and the guards haven't yelled at me yet, I'm starting to get worried they're planning to execute me.__

Quenser Barbotage laid back in a simple cot as he appraised his current lodgings. The cell contained all of the needs for a relatively comfortable stay, though the only view he had was the metal wall of the hallway just outside of the door to his cell. He could feel the occasional shake of the entire structure as the gigantic mobile maintenance vehicle that was part of an Object maintenance convoy drove along. The prisoner had no idea where the vehicles were going, and only had a simple digital clock to tell how long it had been. In an unusual course of action for the boy, Quenser had been sure to be as polite as possible to avoid drawing any unnecessary problems as a prisoner of war.

Hours passed as the vehicle drove through what Quenser could only imagine was the Alaskan or Canadian hills. The boy habitually checked his pockets before remembering that all of his equipment and uniform had been confiscated when he arrived. Instead of his usual camouflage, he was given a plain t-shirt with matching slacks to wear. Bored out of his mind, he decided to try to make a simple conversation with the guards standing outside of his door.

"Hey, what's going to happen to me anyway? I'm not even technically a soldier; I'm just a battlefield student." Quenser didn't actually expect an answer, but surprisingly one of the guards, a young man no older than Quenser himself, replied.

"Just a battlefield student? With your record? I'm sort of scared to know what kind of school you went to. I can't really officially say anything about what the higher-ups plan to do to you, but the Stopgap Grim Reaper duo is here so I doubt anything bad will happen to you at least for the time being." Quenser's eyes lit up at the chance to kill some time with conversation. The thought that he probably shouldn't be talking too much to an enemy soldier while a prisoner crossed his mind, but he promptly remembered that solitary confinement was an incredibly dull time aside from the day that Nyarlathotep broke out. He sat up on the cot and kept the conversation flowing.

"Well, I did go to a STEM school; personally I was in the Object designer division. I got a few fun stories of the place, like the time a buddy of mine caught the attention of a stalker girl. That was probably the first time in my life I've seen a homemade railgun in actual use." Muffled laughter could be heard from the other side of the wall when the guard heard what Quenser said. Time in school was a hell in itself due to mind-numbing boredom irregularly broken by absolute chaos with the crazy students that attended the school. Despite being probably the most shining example of "crazy student", Quenser conveniently failed to realize he was one of them. When the laughter died down, the blonde asked another question.

"So what did you mean by the 'Stopgap Grim Reaper duo'? Are they some sort of big shot that sends troops to their death or something?" Quenser could hear muffled whispers from the two guards, but couldn't make out what they were saying. The secret conversation lasted for a couple minutes when the young man outside finally responded.

"I might get in trouble for telling you this, but I heard they were coming to talk to you anyway. They're a Lieutenant Colonel and her aide who is a Second Lieutenant, from what I know, they help keep officers in line or something to that effect. Actually, you sort of met the Lieutenant Colonel back during that whole affair with the conspirator organization with that crazy Object that took out several other Objects without moving. You were part of the group that encountered it as boots on the ground and destroyed it right? I heard she contacted you over the radio briefly when the attack first commenced. Actually, I want to hear how you-" The young guard abruptly stopped talking, and Quenser could hear a footsteps that conveyed a sense of authority just by their sound. From the small window in his cell door, Quenser could see some movement and shifted himself to be seated on the cot with his feet touching the ground. As the door opened a vaguely familiar face came into view.

She was a young girl who could at oldest only be in her very early teens wearing a black parade uniform adorned with medals that seemed horribly out of place on her, and behind her stood a similarly dressed man in his twenties who seemed to exude the aura of a skilled secretary rather than a soldier. To Quenser, they were very familiar faces; Wraith Martini Vermouthspray and her assistant whose name he never bothered remembering.

"It has been some time Quenser, I see you've managed to keep yourself alive." Quenser wasn't sure how he should respond to the young girl after the rather complicated situation that they had parted during. Wraith sat herself down on the cot next to Quenser while tapping on a touch-screen device. "Well then, this is a bit of a surprise for me too. Lieutenant Colonel Farolito had told me she was bringing in a very high-priority prisoner, but she didn't tell me until I got here that it was you." Wraith nodded once then stood up from the cot and motioned for Quenser to follow her out of the cell.

"Come, we're going to have a more official talk in the interrogation room" Martini spoke as Quenser paled a bit at the words "interrogation room". He thought of trying to talk his way out of getting interrogated but dismissed that thought since attempting to do so would likely only make things worse for him. As he stepped outside he saw that Wydine and Charm in their normal military uniforms were the security detail. Silently, the group walked down a few different hallways and Quenser was lead into a plain room with only a table and two chairs as furniture. One wall was mostly covered by a one-way mirror, and the young prisoner was secretly relieved he was not taken to a torture room. Following as he was directed, Quenser quietly took a seat on one side of the table as the young Lieutenant Colonel placed a tablet down on the table and sat on the other side from Quenser.

The blonde prisoner felt a bit of sweat forming on his forehead, as this was the first time he was on this side of an interrogation by an enemy. Behind him he could vaguely make out Wydine and Charm standing guard while Wraith's assistant stood just one step behind and to the side of his commander. The young girl operated the tablet in front of her for a few minutes as Quenser nervously watched on, after she was seemingly done, she finally addressed him.

"Quenser Barbotage, estimated age 18, born in a Legitimacy Kingdom safe country and a student at a famous school for aspiring Object designers and engineers. Received commendations some time ago for destroying a Faith Organization Object on foot with a bit of explosives and sabotage after your own Object was destroyed. Since then you've made quite a name for yourself by destroying or being critical in the destruction of a very impressive amount of Objects. Now then, for now I am simply here to ask you about your thoughts on a couple of those Objects." The girl's cold gaze pierced into Quenser as he listened to what she had to say. At her prompting, he nervously agreed.

"I'm nowhere near as impressive as that sounds, all of those kills were the result of help from both other people and the environment. The only Object I killed completely solo was the Simple Is Best, and even that was a result of both the environment and it targeting our own Object at the time." Wraith's eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of the Simple Is Best, and Quenser quickly shut his mouth. The girl sighed before speaking her mind.

"I knew you destroyed our Object, but it's still a bit frustrating to hear that you were completely alone in destroying it even if I was present at that battlefield to know what you did. Regardless, that answers one of my inquiries, next I'd like to ask just how exactly you managed to get aboard the Gatling 033. I don't think I've ever heard of anybody boarding a moving Object before." Quenser put his hand on his chin in thought for a moment as he recalled the Object in question.

"Gatling 033…? Oh you mean what we call the Rush. I climbed aboard it by leaping from a cliff while it had to pass by slowly due to Object debris from the Water Strider and attaching electromagnets connected to rope as a hold. I saw that it had no close range electromagnetic sensors for that kind of thing during the joint operation in Australia so I knew it wouldn't detect me. I had my partner fire a remote rocket to cover my approach when I leaped, after that I just had to avoid the cameras. On that subject, I also boarded the Destruction Fes while its speed was drastically cut with a paraglider. That proved to be a bit of a mistake since there was no ejection system but luckily the astronauts saw my message on how to stop the orchestral control system." The matter-of-fact statement made by the boy visibly surprised all of the other occupants of the room, and Quenser wondered for a moment if he said something bad. The girl in front of him cleared her throat to recover her composure before talking again.

"I see, whether that is the truth or not is in question, but we do have sensors in this room to analyze you for any lies." She briefly glanced at her tablet as it made a small noise. Immediately after, the door to the interrogation room opened up and a brown-skinned woman walked in. Quenser quickly recognized her from the time that the Information had saved him during the Mirror of Truth incident. The new arrival carried a simple folding chair into the room with her. Sparing a glance at both the prisoner and the two women standing guard behind him, she proceeded to set up the chair and sit in it. Quenser only grew more nervous at the presence of another interrogator in the room. The woman pulled out a tablet and started messing with it as she spoke.

"We've met before but I'll reintroduce myself in case you forgot. I am Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito, commanding officer of the 3rd CEB. As for you, today we will have a bit of a talk." More and more sweat formed on Quenser's forehead as he started to get really anxious. The last time he had seen this woman she had gotten into a drunken catfight with his own commander while yelling at him. He hoped she didn't take out any frustrations on him and reminded himself to not bring up that incident.

Seeing him become more nervous, Lendy reassured Quenser. "Do not worry; we have no intention of harming you. Rather, I am here to give you a job offer, so to speak." Quenser's face went from one of muffled fear to a face of confusion before settling into a calm professional mask. Seeing that he had regained some composure, Lendy resumed talking.

"Quenser Barbotage, you have attracted the attention of many organizations for your talents when it comes to eliminating Objects. Today, I am offering you a chance to defect from the Legitimacy Kingdom that placed you on the frontlines and then labeled you a traitor to the Information Alliance. More specifically, we wish to employ you as a tactical adviser for our own elite as she engages enemy Objects. You will naturally be paid appropriately and given access to the needed information on enemy Objects we engage. While you won't have much freedom while working with us until you have been deemed trustworthy enough, the other option is to languish in a cell. You are far too dangerous to be returned to the wasteful Legitimacy Kingdom."

As he listened to the offer, Quenser quietly lowered his gaze to his hands resting on the table. He clasped his hands and idly rubber his fingers together as he ran the words he just heard through his head several times over. After a minute or so of thinking, he finally responded.

"You know, I never wanted to destroy Objects like I've been doing. I'm just a student; I was only on base since it was a faster route to becoming an Object designer and earning a solid income." As he spoke, his head rose up and stared at the ceiling. His mind became a maelstrom of various thoughts and emotions due to the situation he had been placed in. Seeing his hesitation, Lendy resumed speaking.

"Yes, I had heard that becoming an Object designer was your original goal. Our elite was heavily pressing for us to recruit you, she seems to be of the opinion that if you designed an Object it would be unstoppable. Arranging things for you to become an Object designer would be slightly more difficult, but in time we could arrange for you to obtain the necessary licenses and certifications. You would still be working with and around Objects most of the time, so you shouldn't have any more difficulty than if you were still at your old base. As well, we have absolutely no intention of actually sending you out onto the battlefield, you will be observing from a safe place and giving advice to our actual operatives and elites in the field." Quenser slowly lowered his head to look Lendy in the eye as she elaborated on her offer.

__She doesn't seem to be lying about any of that, though thinking on it, information manipulation would be the specialty of the Information Alliance. Still, I can at least believe that I won't be sent out onto the battlefield since I doubt they'd want me running off.__

The room grew silent as Quenser pondered the offer. Minutes passed in the silent room, but nobody spoke up as the boy just sat there mulling it over. He had no way of knowing, but over twenty minutes had passed before he finally spoke.

"…At the very least, my comrades in the 37th were my friends and allies, can I have your word that I will not be asked to turn against them or the Baby Magnum?" At his inquiry, Lendy and Wraith slightly turned their heads to look at each other. At Wraith's nod, Lendy replied to Quenser.

"I can at least guarantee you that much, the Object you know as the Baby Magnum is an old model, so we would know most of its strengths and weaknesses as it is, and your battalion has at the very least proven themselves as reasonable in the past. We should have no need for you to aid in fighting them if the situation calls for it." Quenser let out a deep sigh at that statement. He did not like the prospect of turning his knowledge against the people he had fought alongside during his time on the battlefield.

More time passed as Quenser considered, pondered, debated and weighed the options in his mind. Even still, nobody broke the silence of the interrogation room as the young man considered his new future. Finally, after spending over an hour in the simple room, he finally gave his final reply.

"I'll do it."

The words almost scraped out of his mouth as he sullenly complied. At that prompting, Lendy stood up from the chair and offered her hand as she spoke. "Understood, Wydine and Charm will show you to your new room. It will be a pleasure working with you Special Operations Advisor Quenser Barbotage."

As he shook the hand of the woman in front of him, Quenser shook off his remaining doubts and set himself on a new course.

That new course would prove to only further his legend across the world.


	3. Chapter 3

Now we get to where this rewrite starts to actually happen. The revelations about the inner workings of the Information Alliance were both too important and too good for a story to pass up rewriting this pretty much from scratch. Chapter 4 will be rewritten as well, though the plot will be the same. The problem still remains that I do not have the confidence to write out the destruction of an Object.

* * *

The irritating buzzing of a simple alarm woke Quenser Barbotage from his sleep. He swiftly hit the snooze button as he got up from the simple cot he had been laying on. While stretching his arms, he gazed around his room and shook off the last remnants of tiredness from his head. This was the new room he had been assigned after agreeing to defect to the Information Alliance the previous day. He did not have much of a chance to take stock of what was included so he figured now was as good of a time as any to appraise his new lodging.

Hanging from one wall, on the right side of the room if one entered from the only door, was the cot he had just left. On the back side across from the door was a simple desk with a computer terminal and various other small office utilities on top, as well as a plain padded office chair to accompany it. In the back left corner, a small square bathroom with an even smaller shower jut out, and next to it on the left wall was a metal military wardrobe. After a quick wash in the bathroom, Quenser went to the wardrobe and opened the upper portion.

Inside was a uniform that Quenser would never have expected to wear in his lifetime. A purple dress uniform shirt with small black shoulder pads accompanied by black pants was hung up in the back of the compartment. The shirt was adorned by a single bronze plate on the right side, engraved with the words:

__Quenser Barbotage__

__Special Operations Advisor__

A wry grin appeared on his face as Quenser read the small plate on his new uniform. Various thoughts went through his head as he put the new uniform on and checked himself in the mirror. He adjusted various small bits of his clothing to make sure everything was perfect and stared into his own reflection. Just as he nodded in satisfaction, the computer on his new desk booted itself up. As Quenser turned in surprise, text started appearing on the monitor.

__"Good morning Quenser"__

Quenser frowned for a moment before a thought came to him. "The Anastasia Processor? Now that I think about it I shouldn't be surprised, were you behind all of this?" He spoke quietly to avoid anyone outside hearing, but realized as he was speaking that they likely had his room bugged anyway.

__"There is no need to worry about anyone outside of this room hearing you unless you shout. It is meant to guard you against possible assassination attempts so the walls are too thick for most sound to travel through. I have also taken control of all of the monitoring systems and am currently spoofing older footage. It is just us here at this moment."__

"It's nice that you answered the question I was thinking, but I want an answer to the one I actually asked.

__"Truthfully speaking I had nothing to do with the actions of the Legitimacy Kingdom itself. I would guess that a few of the top ranks see the deterioration of the current world order of clean wars to be your fault, though I cannot say for sure. As for the Information Alliance while I did help them gain approval for your 'recruitment', I did not need to intervene for them to move to capture you. This should not come as a surprise when you have directly worked with them before."__

Quenser stared at the words on the computer screen, but pure text didn't do much to help him discern the truth behind them. Whether or not the Anastasia Processor was lying, he was still stuck in the same situation, and he had already agreed to the terms set by the Information Alliance.

_"___I do not believe it needs to be said, but our agreement from that island in the Bermuda Triangle still stands. I hope I can trust you to keep our little secret. So long as you do, I will support you in your endeavors."__

With that last message, the computer powered itself down, leaving Quenser alone in the room once again. A beep came from the small intercom next to the only door in the room and Wydine spoke through it as Quenser walked towards the door.

"Good morning, sir. Have you prepared yourself for the day?" Quenser still couldn't shake the feeling that the woman was mocking him a little when she spoke so politely, but pushed that thought aside as he pressed the button to answer. "Yeah, I'm good."

The door swung open revealing Wydine and another one of her unit standing in uniform. Wydine was holding a simple tray of food with a canteen in the other hand, and on either side of the door guards armed with carbines stood at attention. The woman motioned that she was entering Quenser's room, and the young man stepped aside to let her in. The door was closed by one of the guards as Wydine set the tray and canteen on Quenser's desk.

"Well, first we should start with getting you some breakfast. For the time being my girls will be the ones showing you around. Since we've worked with you before the Lieutenant Colonel believes it would be easier to get you acclimated and we don't have any other missions to take care of right now."

As she spoke, the woman sat down on Quenser's bed and nodded towards the chair at his desk. Quenser sat down and took a spoonful of the featureless mush that he assumed was the rations the Information Alliance soldiers were stuck with. He tried not to focus too much on the attractive woman on his bed; at least not while she was paying attention to him. Whether or not she noticed, Wydine sighed and started speaking.

"So, after you're done eating here we're going to head to one of the small conference rooms. The higher-ups don't really believe that we managed to grab you so easily so they'll want to talk to you a bit." The woman did not bother to hide her slight annoyance at the situation as she leaned back and stretched her neck while she spoke. "I just hope they aren't stubborn enough to think you're a fake with two Lieutenant Colonels vouching for your identity."

After Quenser finished up his meal, Wydine led him outside the room, and accompanied by two other members of her squad he followed her through the base. Finally, they arrived at a door guarded by two heavily-armored men holding customized carbines with their faces concealed by fully-masked helmets. Upon their arrival, Wydine gave the men a salute; which was quickly returned, and gave them a quick report.

"Presenting Quenser Barbotage." One of the men nodded and tucked his head into his shoulder. It was hard to tell because of the mask, but he seemed to be speaking over a radio in his mask. While the guard tended to his brief conversation, Wydine turned and gave Quenser's uniform a quick check to make sure everything was in order. When he was finished on the radio, the guard opened the door and motioned Quenser to head inside.

"Head on in sir, they're waiting for you." At the guard's direction, Quenser took a deep breath and headed inside. As the door closed behind him he found himself in a simple meeting room very similar to the ones he had been in with the Legitimacy Kingdom. Seated in person were Lendy Farolito on one side and Wraith Martini Vermouthspray accompanied by the same black-haired man as usual on the other side. In the center was a decently-sized screen with multiple windows open showing different uniformed men and women, and standing along the wall was a few other uniformed officers. While keeping his best poker face, Quenser stood at attention with his hands behind his back. The first to speak up was Wraith.

"Well then, now that he has arrived let's get this over with." It seemed that Wraith was in a rather impatient mood as she started the meeting. Lendy cleared her throat and read from a tablet. "Quenser Barbotage, today we are just confirming your identity for some of the more skeptical officers. First, a simple DNA test."

At her mention of the test, one of the officers standing along the wall walked up with a small machine and a cotton swab. "Open your mouth please." Quenser opened his mouth as ordered, and the man carefully ran the swab along the inside of his mouth then placed the swab into the machine. The man calmly monitored the screen on the device, and after a moment the machine beeped once. The officer nodded and turned to look at the screen. "It's a match, this is indeed the same man as the sample we have stored."

Quenser found it rather creepy that they just had a sample of his DNA in storage somewhere, but he kept it hidden. He was reminded of the Module that was used by the leader of the Faith Organization during the Ragnarok Script incident. He had heard that he was wanted by the other world powers, but it never seemed to click inside him. He wondered if perhaps Frolaytia had drilled him and Heivia so sternly to keep them from growing inflated egos. Either way, he returned his focus to the conversation at hand.

"Well then, now that we know for sure you are the real deal let us proceed with the interview."

* * *

Roughly two hours after he had entered the meeting room, Quenser was finally released. Wydine greeted him, and he followed her and her assistants back towards his room, keeping his back straight until they passed around the first corner and out of sight of the guards at the room. As soon as he confirmed they could not see him anymore, he let his shoulders fall and let out a long breath as Wydine patted him once on the back.

"I thought that was never gonna end" Quenser stretched out his shoulders briefly before Wydine moved behind him and quickly dug her thumbs into his muscles to massage help massage away the stiffness. "Don't worry, if they still though you were fake they would have had the guards drag you off. You should be getting contacted for the specifics of what your work will entail before long. Their main concern will be trust." Quenser tiredly shrugged as Wydine finished up her short massage. "Yeah, yeah, that's to be expected. Even if the top brass of the Legitimacy Kingdom wanted me gone it doesn't change the family and friends back home. On the plus side, these clean wars they were working to sustain means they probably won't be in any danger from my work here. I just hope they don't try pulling some sort of revenge on them."

They made their way back to Quenser's temporary room, and Wydine moved to his computer to turn it on. "While we're here, we should probably run you through the basics of the Operating System for your computer, they're most likely going to have you working through one of these. Naturally, everything you do here will be monitored, but even without your special circumstances that's pretty standard for military work."

Quenser sat at the desk as Wydine leaned over his chair to direct him. He wasn't sure if it was on purpose, but the sweet feminine scent and the feel of her breath near his ear made it hard for him to focus on what he should have been.

__Shit, am I being tested? Is this on purpose? It's really hard to tell with these Information Alliance types! Not that I mind it though!__

The lecture continued for some time, pausing a bit for lunch, and by the time it ended it was already time for dinner. His meals all were the same unappetizing rations similar to the ones he had in the Legitimacy Kingdom with some water. As the evening went on, he found himself alone in his room lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. Finally, he had time to himself to process the day, or so he thought.

__"Good evening Quenser, I hope you didn't find that interview too stressing. It is best to let the human side of the leadership ease their own doubts when possible."__

The computer once again powered up on it's own as words appeared on the black screen. Quenser glanced over to read the message, but returned his gaze to the ceiling when he was done. It was hard to shake off the uncomfortable feeling of being watched and used by an AI like this. The difference in viewpoint made it even hard to feel like he could get a grasp of the intentions than when dealing with a legitimately crazy person like mass murderer Skuld. Nevertheless, being hostile would not get him anywhere.

"Well, something like this was expected, trust isn't easy to build after all." The computer screen remained blank for a moment before the reply appeared.

__"Humans place a lot of value in trust, even from a purely logical standpoint I can see the reasoning behind it's worth." __The screen held the words for a moment until Quenser rolled over into a more comfortable position to read it; however, he remained silent.

__"I can tell you still have some doubts about all of this."__

Quenser again remained silent as he observed the screen. His mind was cluttered with thoughts and worries, so he did not feel up to trying to analyze the words of the Anastasia Processor.

__"…I'll take you silence as a wish to be left alone to your thoughts. Good night Quenser, there will be work for you to build trust with the Information Alliance tomorrow."__

With that last message, the computer started to power down. Alone once more, Quenser sluggishly rolled back over onto his back and closed his eyes. Eventually, he got up to change into the basic sleepwear he had been provided and went to sleep. Starting tomorrow, he would begin his work.


End file.
